January greetings from Lalitpuri! 30-year-old Srijana gets strength from other women

Research has shown that helping women and girls is one of the most effective ways to improve the well-being of the family and the entire community and eliminate poverty. Thank you for being a part of Kaiko's journey. With your help, women get opportunities. 🖤

For Sunday reading, news about our project site from the village of Ghuseli, from 30-year-old Srijana. 

"30-year-old Srijana Ghimire lives in the village of Ghushel in Nepal, about 30 km from Kathmandu. Her three daughters and her husband also live in the house on the mountainside. The in-laws live next door, and they help the couple with housework when needed.

The house, built on a mountainous and steep terrain, is surrounded by crops, a cattle shelter and a chicken coop. There are five buffaloes, and they produce 25-30 liters of milk every day. The milk is collected daily and taken to the collection point in the village for further transportation, Srijana says. Srijana cannot say the exact number of chickens, but visually there are several hundred of them. Chickens grow from chicks to adult chickens in 45 days, after which they are sold on.

Taking care of the animals takes up a large part of Srijana's day. In addition, he works in the field, where mustard, cauliflower, carrots, onions, garlic and radishes grow, among other things. In order to have time to do everything, Srijana wakes up at half past five in the morning and first goes to feed the chickens and buffaloes. After breakfast, he cleans the animal shelters, goes to the forest to collect food for the buffaloes, does field work and later in the afternoon feeds the animals again.

In the afternoon, I cook and do laundry, Srijana says and smiles when asked about her free time. There is no extra time left in the day. In the evenings, I go to bed early, already at eight, so that I can wake up early. Srijana's husband participates in the work of the farm and according to Srijana, the work is divided equally. We have a good division of labor, I'm happy about that.

Srijana Ghimire is a member of the women's group of the cooperative supported by the Women's Bank of Ghushel village and has received a loan from the cooperative. The equipment needed for house work has been bought with it. Being part of the group has meant a lot to me. I have received a lot of strength from other women and believe that a woman can also become an entrepreneur. I strive for that myself. Srijana's biggest dream is related to children. I want the best possible and easier life for my children than I have had. I do everything I can so that they can get an education and get ahead in life."

Thanks to Tiina and Maria, Naisten Bank's volunteer communication team, for the picture and story. Text: Tiina Toivakka Photos: Maria Miklas